UoB Pro-VC flies 18 times in a year as he urges staff to climate strike

The University of Bristol's Pro-Vice Chancellor for global engagement, Erik Lithander, flew 18 times and took 91 taxis in one year, while also encouraging staff to cut their carbon emissions and partake in a climate strike.

Lithander took £26,741.48 worth of flights to places such as Japan, China, India and the USA, according to expenses covering September 2018 to September 2019.

During that time, Lithander also wrote a blogpost on the uni's website encouraging staff and students to participate in an upcoming climate strike.

“I encourage all of our staff and students to participate in the climate strike this Friday," Lithander wrote on September 19th 2019. "Standing together in our resolve to see real change affected will put us in the strongest possible position to make a real contribution to the sustainability movement.”

He also praised his colleagues for their efforts to reduce carbon emissions, writing, "Over the summer, over 900 staff members took part in our 'Be the Change' initiative and together saved an estimated 59 tonnes of CO2 by making behavioural changes that included travelling more sustainably and adjusting their consumption habits."

It was only in April of 2019 that UoB became the first uni to declare a climate emergency.

Lithander has defended his position, telling The Bristol Tab: “I am fully aware that my dual role as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement and as executive lead for Sustainability at the University gives rise to contradictions.

“I have been transparent about my acceptance of these contradictions and am working hand-in-hand with our Sustainability Office in the development of the University’s new Sustainability Strategy, which includes recommendations for how staff (myself included) can make changes to their business travel to reduce their carbon footprint.

“I am uniquely privileged to have been asked to balance two of the University’s most pressing agendas, namely internationalisation and sustainability, and I don’t for a moment pretend that reconciling them is straightforward.

“The urgency of the climate crisis is challenging many long-held assumptions and priorities within Higher Education, and a huge amount of work is taking place both at the sectoral and individual institutional level to address this.

“The University of Bristol has some of the best-established sustainability initiatives in the sector, and we are working hard to ensure that we continue to be at the forefront of best practice in this area.”

Lithander’s job involves building international partnerships and enhancing the uni's profile in an international higher education market place.